Mystery Ranch

Mission 55L Duffel Bag

The last duffel you need

I purchased this and recently took a 4 day business trip that the duffel's capacity was perfect for. For starters, unless I missed it in the item description I wasn't aware the entire bag folds into one of it's own side pockets and there's a small loop for hanging it up. I was very confused when I opened it to find what looked like a big general purpose pouch. After some practice, getting it back into this configuration is easy, and saves a great deal of space when stored. The 40L model is quite spacious. I could have easily fit a weeks plus worth of garments, and still had space for shoes on the side. It carries quite well with the included shoulder strap. I have not ( and will not likely ) used the should straps so I cannot speak to their comfort with a full duffel. They do however come completely off of the bag and I opted to simply leave them at home. Both straps fold into the side pocket along with the bag when stored, so they aren't easily lost nor loose in a closet somewhere. The material, zippers, and workmanship of the bag is everything you'd expect from Mystery Ranch. Overbuilt and perfectly assembled. The weight of the bag itself lends confidence to the fact that the bag will last for quite a long time. The internal organization gave me plenty of options for toiletries, electronics chargers/cables, and a novel without becoming some jumble of things tossed into an available pocket. I also appreciate that the bag's structure helps to keep it's form - something that's annoyed me about flimsy duffel's I've owned previously is how the entire duffel becomes something of a slightly twisted lump if it wasn't at least 75% full. I took a road trip, so I can't say with any certainty the duffel will qualify easily for airline overhead storage.

Just Better

Awesome bag. Fantastic quality. How can I replace all my bags with a mystery ranch bag.

State Of The Art

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

55l

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

235

I have been in and out of countless duffels. This one incorporates the various unique advantages of other models. I especially like the oversized end compartment, in which you can stash the items you absolutely do not want mixed with your other stuff, like boots, wet clothes, dirty clothes. And yes of course the more you cram into an end compartment the more it encroaches on space in the main compartment=DUH! But it's there if you need it and flat against the end if you don't. At least with this duffel you have that choice! Has compression straps, but most people use packing cubes nowadays. The exterior is semi gloss, which I like; and the hide seems as tough as any other. If the airline is going to wreck your bag, all but the North Face Base Camp are going to get damaged. I have not experienced a problem with those snaps; and I use the right backpack strap as my over-the shoulder strap. At this point in this space, this Mystery Ranch duffel seems to have the most abundant "feature set". I am delighted with it; and also bought the 65L rolling model for my wife for an upcoming Eco-Tourism trip to South America.

Love it (so far)

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

55L

Great duffle bag. I originally was looking at the Patagonia and North Face bags, but decided on this one because it has additional pockets and some internal organization. I bet that if you're trying to maximize capacity, then the side pockets probably reduce that a bit, but I've packed everything I needed in it so far, and I'm not a particularly light packer (2 long weekend trips with multiple activities and changes of clothes, shoes and jackets). There are some reviewers that complain about the snaps on the handle - that hasn't been an issue for me at all. Velcro might have been easier, but they snap close pretty easily.

Lots of pockets

Great duffel bag, good amount of storage spots. The divider inside the main compartment is much more helpful than you’d think. I with the lid opened up with a little more ease. When it’s packed full it takes a minute to open fully.

Good Organization, Disappointing Performance

Been using Patagonia Black Hole duffels for years, but decided to give MR a try. I really love the division of space in this duffel, making it awesome for organization and keeping gear in it's place. I purchased this bag and immediately packed it up for a 2 week trip to Mexico. The bag was great until I picked it up off the carousel, walked 50ft with it on my shoulder and the backpack strap buckle snapped. Surprised and disappointed, I grabbed one of the handles and hauled to a nearby set of chairs where I disconnected the shoulder straps and stowed them (quickly and easily thanks to the mostly good design). I then attempted to carry the bag via the button-snap handle. This worked great until I set it back down, at which point the snaps came undone. After attempting to use this several times but getting the same result, I defaulted to the sewn handles on the sides. I carried the bag this way for the rest of the trip, and these straps held up great.

Great for a trip!

I used this duffle for a 10-day pilgrimage to Portugal and Spain. It performed superbly, and managed to carry all the gear that I was taking with me. I was surprised at how large it was when it arrived, but it was more than sufficient for my needs. Looking forward to many trips with this.

Nice bag, except:

This is a well made, mid-sized travel duffel. My only complaint is that the loops to attach the shoulder straps to the bag are too small for the corresponding attachment hardware on the end of the shoulder straps. Loops need another 1/2 inch of material to make this a very good bag.

Design is slipping

Bag material feels a little like vinyl, time will tell how it holds up. Handle cover is barely large enough to fit around webbing when bag is empty, have to work to get it closed if full. Snaps on handle are of poor quality and won’t stay closed. Bag design is good, nice to have handles on all sides.

Well Made Duffle, One Negative: SNAPS!!!

I specifically purchased the 55l size to use as checked luggage for outdoor and entire trips. I selected the duffle based on the reputation of the company and the fact that I can carry the 55l using one sling strap and remove the backpack straps. I’m already carrying my hiking day pack so I’m unable to effectively use the backpack straps. All the other big name well made duffles do not have the ability to carry their duffle bags as a duffle bag. So this also made the mission duffle the only real option! The bag is well laid out without being too busy. The bright interior and dimensions make packing easy without needed to fold anything weirdly. Very versatile for packing with or without packing cubes. The duffle has held up well as checked luggage and honestly for a 7-10 day trip I would not want it any bigger because at that point I’d be over weight anyway. You can get tons in there. The single strap lacks padding but I’ve swapped over to a non matching strap from another bag. I have not used the back pack straps so I have no opinion on those. The single issue I have is with the two snaps on the fabric that folds over the handles. The snaps come undone with minimal pressure so there is absolutely no way that they do not become unsnapped when using it as checked luggage. No way. Because this duffle is basically otherwise perfect, I drilled out the snaps and banged in my “pull the dot” snaps on my own. Now the bag functions as should have to start. I passed the recommendation along to MR and maybe they will upgrade the future releases. If they do, I’ll pick up the smaller size for carry on duty for business trips.